1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system wherein a printing apparatus and one or more hosts are interconnected across a network, a printing apparatus used in connection with a computer network, and a printing apparatus control program to be executed by a computer connected to a printing apparatus across a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, of the printing apparatuses, such as network printers and copiers, for connection to a computer network, there are apparatuses that are designed to internally store printing job data that are received in a predetermined form.
Many of these printing apparatuses perform printing, based on printing job data, when users employ PCs, connected to the printing apparatuses across a network, to select identification information (normally a user name and a job name) for specific printing job data stored in the printing apparatuses. In order to simplify the selection of the printing job data to be printed, another printing apparatus has been developed that permits a PC user to select printing job data while viewing a preview image (a thumbnail image), one of which is provided for each set of printing job data stored in the printing apparatus.
Specifically, an example printing apparatus (see patent document 1) has been developed that performs a process for internally storing printing job data that is received, and a process for preparing and internally storing preview image data for the printing job data and for supplying sets of the internally stored preview image data to a PC that is executing a Web browser or a special browser, i.e., permits the Web browser or the special browser to display images based on the preview image data.
[Patent Document 1] JP No. Hei-10-269036
In a printing system including a printing apparatus that permits a PC to display a preview image, i.e., a computer network to which such a printing apparatus is connected, each user can view preview images displayed on his or her PC and apprehend the contents of printing job data other users have stored in the printing apparatus. As a result, each reserve job data set stored in the printing apparatus can be effectively utilized. Further, even when a user forgets the identification information, such as a job name, for printing job data that he or she has stored in the printing apparatus, material desired by the user can be generated by the printing apparatus.
However, since a conventional printing system, which comprises a printing apparatus that permits a PC to display a preview image, employs the printing apparatus to create preview image data, the probability that the printing apparatus will be busy is higher than it is for a printing system employing a printing apparatus that performs only a process for internally storing the printing job data that are received.
As is described above, as conventional printing apparatuses that can internally store print job data, available are both an apparatus that can provide preview image data for a PC and an apparatus that can not provide preview image data for a PC. However, either printing apparatus transmits, to a user PC, information for displaying a screen for selecting print job data to be printed (a screen for displaying only identification information for print job data stored in a printing apparatus, or a screen for displaying a preview image along with identification information).
In other words, when a user employs his or her PC to permit a conventional printing apparatus to print specific print job data that have been stored internally, the printing apparatus does not start the printing of this print job data until the exchange of the information for displaying the selection screen has been completed.